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It took a serious injury for Ravi Rampaul to understand his body and his bowling, and to come back stronger and more effective

Nitin Sundar25-Dec-2011The leader of the West Indies attack is a man of Indian origin. He doesn’t have a pronounced jump in his delivery stride, and prefers to run through the crease – more Waqar Younis than Curtly Ambrose. His default setting isn’t the fierce bumper sent down with the intention of knocking the batsman over. His disposition is mild-mannered, and he doesn’t readily convey menace to the opponent.When Ravi Rampaul started playing the game, such a prototype would have been laughable. Yet it has taken him only 13 Tests to assume charge of the Caribbean bowling unit, while defying several conventions along the way.Caribbean cricketers of Indian descent traditionally idolised Sonny Ramadhin and pursued spin, or took up batting, inspired by the likes of Rohan Kanhai and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Rampaul, however, charted a new trail for himself by perfecting what he loved while playing in the streets of Trinidad – sprinting in and bowling as fast as he could.”When I used to bat and when I had my mates bowl to me, they always tried to hit my head or hit me all over my body,” he recollects with a chuckle. “I just couldn’t hit the ball. So I thought to myself: if they can do this to me, I can do just as well to them. That’s why I took up fast bowling, just to get back at them! And I found a love for it, and continued it.”Growing up, I have always enjoyed having people a little scared of me. I just stuck with it and worked hard to be able to bowl fast at the highest level.”Rampaul’s unique style and effectiveness took him through the age-group systems quickly. Perhaps too quickly. He was handed an ODI debut at 19, a dodgy age for a fast bowler, since the core muscles are yet to fill out. The stress caught up with him, and after 17 ODIs, he was sidelined by shin splints, a condition that stems from overloaded muscles. His career went into standby mode.”I was playing Under-15 and U-19, and then suddenly I was playing for the senior team,” Rampaul recalls. “The impact all that cricket had on me – I was probably overloaded and the shin gave way. It took me two years to recover. I wasn’t able to train, run or do any gym work because of the great pain I was in, and my shin wasn’t working properly.”It was the sort of injury that could end a career but Rampaul wasn’t ready to give in. By the time he could resume training, he had visibly bulked up. “That period led to me putting on some weight, and it was a bit of a downfall in my career. After recovering, I started training hard and putting my life back together in the cricket field. The hard work I put in then has got me to where I am today.”Rampaul came back to the one-day side after exactly three years – fitter, wiser and more aware of his body and its limitations. He took four wickets against England in his second game on return, delivering West Indies a win in Birmingham. With Jerome Taylor fading away, and Fidel Edwards struggling with a spate of injuries, Rampaul found himself taking on more of a load, but this time he was ready for it.

“Fidel is our fastest bowler, so he attacks more and tries to be aggressive. I am a little different – I attack when needed, and I can also defend and bowl consistently to build pressure, if that is the requirement. The role changes from time to time and I just try to manage the situation properly”

“A lot of hard work has gone into my bowling,” he explains. “Because of my injury, it makes me aware that I need to train harder and be a lot fitter to reduce the chance of getting injured. Since my comeback I have been doing a lot of gym work and fitness, and I want to continue that discipline as long as I can carry on playing.”My fitness plan is to do the same amount of gym, cardio, running, and nets, and mix it up well. It is about maintaining the rigour till the point when you need it the most in the middle. Then, once you are in a match situation, you are ready since your body is already accustomed to that workload.”After 41 ODIs spread over nearly six years, a tough initiation to Tests came in Australia, in 2009. A return of four wickets in three Tests spurred Rampaul towards another round of self-appraisal. “In that series, I realised I still wasn’t where I wanted to be, to compete against the world in Test cricket,” he says. “I just went back to a lot of training and analysing. I watched a lot of videos and spoke to past players, who helped me through. I constantly talk to Ian Bishop. Ottis Gibson is a great support, and at times even Courtney Walsh. I ask them how they approach the game, how they react to, and think, in different situations, and how to prepare for a Test match.”All the hard work came together in 2011, starting with a match-winning seven-wicket haul against Pakistan in Providence. Rampaul hasn’t looked back since, picking up 24 wickets in seven Tests, a creditable feat considering all those games were on slow pitches at home and in the subcontinent.”The wickets in India are quite similar to Trinidad, so it wasn’t a new thing for me. If anything, there was more dew than back home, so it was a little bit better to bowl. It was a tough tour, but I learned a lot of stuff for the future. So the next time I come up to India, I will be even better prepared. The tours of Bangladesh and India did a lot for my bowling.”Rampaul believes his versatility allows him to bridge the diverse styles of Fidel Edwards and Kemar Roach. “Fidel is our fastest bowler, so he attacks more and tries to be aggressive. I am a little different – I attack when needed, and I can also defend and bowl consistently to build pressure, if that is the requirement. The role changes from time to time and I just try to manage the situation properly.”West Indies don’t have the results to show for their efforts on the India tour, but they ran the home team close in a few games. “As long as we keep playing together, maintain the team spirit and continue believing in ourselves, I am sure we will start winning soon,” Rampaul says.He won himself several fans in India, but by dismissing Sachin Tendulkar six short of his 100th century, some of that admiration was grudging. “It is amazing to play cricket in India, with the crowds chanting while Tendulkar is batting. It is an experience I will treasure for life,” he says.Was he subject to any banter when he returned to the Wankhede outfield after getting Tendulkar out “to a plan”? Rampaul laughs. “They were heckling me a little bit, but it is all good fun. Tendulkar is their hero so it was only natural that they were upset. But I am sure they will soon forget it and be okay with it.”

A scorching sun is no bother when the ground is lit up by a magnificent performance, is it?

Gaurav Kheterpal09-Apr-2012Choice of game
A hot sunny April afternoon in Jaipur may hardly sound like the best setting to watch cricket at the stadium. However, having missed the last game between the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, and the prospect of watching Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum, Brett Lee and once our very own Yusuf Pathan go up against the home team meant there was no way I was going to miss this opportunity.The festive atmosphere in the ground, with the Royals’ Army people wearing ” all the way irrespective of the result.Key performers
Brad Hodge, an experienced Twenty20 cricketer, gave us a batting master-class. He started off with singles, and once set, smashed the ball to all parts of the ground, by when it didn’t really matter who was bowling and where.The second key performer was that gigantic West Indian named Kevon Cooper. He came in with a big reputation in T20, and two matches into the tournament, he’s lived up to the expectations. His two wickets in two balls turned the tide in favour of the Royals at a crucial juncture in the game. And the best part – his wicket celebrations are a treat to watch, reminiscent of the golden days of West Indian cricket.One thing I’d have changed
I’d have liked to see Owais Shah and Cooper bat up in the batting order. Ashok Menaria and Shreevats Goswami batted well, but the innings nearly came to a standstill from the ninth to the 13th over, till Hodge let loose. I think the Royals could have got another 15-20 runs with a little more innovation in their batting order.Face-off you relished
Lee v Dravid – two match-winners who have been around for more than a decade. Lee is any coach’s dream fast bowler: fast and accurate, he steams in every time he’s asked to bowl. Dravid, meanwhile, is an encyclopaedia of batting. Though he’ll always be remembered as a Test specialist, it’s wonderful to see him bashing the opposition bowlers in the T20 format. He opened up by hitting two sixes and was going strong till he was run out, and my dream face-off ended abruptly.What an entry
By Amit Singh. Two big wickets – Kallis and Gautam Gambhir – in two balls of his first over put the Kolkata Knight Riders on the back foot in a tense chase. No one in the ground expected such wonders from this little-known player so it was the best possible way for him to announce himself on the big stage.Wow moment
Just when the crowd (including yours truly) was gasping for breath after Amit Singh’s two wickets in two balls, Ankeet Chavan had the danger man McCullum plumb off the next delivery. It was a team hat-trick, and barring any Pathan heroics, I knew the match was in the bag for the Royals.Close encounter
The crowd went nuts when Shah Rukh Khan was seen on the big screen posing with some pretty girls. He was right next to the Knight Riders’ dugout and a stone’s throw from my stand. Needless to say, the women in the stadium lost interest in the match after that and were busy trying to get a sight of King Khan whenever possible.Shot of the day
Dravid’s six off Lee was the best shot of the day. Dravid isn’t known for hitting big sixes, that too early on in the innings. The crowd had barely settled in their seats, when, in the third over, Lee tried to bounce out Dravid, who responded by sending the ball scorching past fine leg into the crowd.Crowd meter
The ground was nearly full, and there were no empty seats in sight. People wearing blue gave the ground a royal feel. The cheer girls’ (traditional Rajasthan attire) instead of their regular outfits were a huge hit with the crowd. There was plenty of support for the Knight Riders as well, especially for Pathan, who played an instrumental role in helping the Royals to their IPL title.Entertainment
The music during the over breaks was awesome. Popular Bollywood numbers kept people on their feet during the over breaks and the strategic timeouts. The cheerleaders were their usual best, entertaining the crowd by dancing to the beats of foot-tapping numbers.Overall
Superb game. There were some brilliant performances, and the better team on the day won convincingly. The Royals are looking to get back to their invincible ways of the first season. The crowd was fantastic, and despite the scorching heat, the atmosphere was thoroughly enjoyable.Marks out of 10
I’d reckon it was 9 out of 10. Despite being an avid Royals supporter, I’d have liked to watch a closer encounter – that’s the real thrill of T20 cricket. Once Pathan was back in the hut, there was no doubt about which team was going to win.

Marks out of ten for South Africa following their 1-0 win over New Zealand

Firdose Moonda28-Mar-20129.5
Vernon Philander
It does not get closer to perfect than this: Philander took 21 wickets, by far the most in the series, at an average of 15.47. He was Graeme Smith’s go-to man and every time he had the ball in his hand something seemed certain to happen. His disciplined lines and lengths frustrated the opposition batsmen while swing, reverse swing and seam movement troubled them. Philander barely put a foot wrong as he became the second fastest bowler to 50 Test wickets. His start to Test cricket has been dreamlike: the second innings in Wellington was the first time in his seven-Test-old career that he went without a wicket in an innings. He also displayed his ability with the bat, playing two important lower-order innings.8.5
Graeme Smith
Smith, the longest-serving current Test captain, was the leading run-getter in the series, with 282 runs at 56.40. He was outstanding with the bat and as captain. A century in Dunedin, to set up a tough chase for New Zealand, and two half-centuries, including a match-winning one in Hamilton, completed his return to form, which started with a hundred against Australia in November. In the field, he handled his attack with careful calculation, ensuring the quicks were never overbowled. Smith’s declaration in the third Test may be criticised for coming too late, but that is harsh. With South Africa leading the series 1-0, he had no reason to give New Zealand any chance of winning.8
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel
Philander stole the spotlight but it would not have been quite as bright without Steyn and Morkel. Even though the pair, collectively, did not take as many wickets as Philander, without them South Africa’ attack would not have had the various dimensions it possessed. They ensured the pressure was always on.Steyn cranked the pace up as the series wore on, hitting speeds around 145 kph regularly in spells. In Hamilton, he helped Philander affect a New Zealand collapse of five wickets for no run. Steyn swung the ball, while Morkel put in his most disciplined performance in a while, extracting good bounce and ensuring batsmen knew he was capable of hurting them. Steyn and Morkel’s best performance as a pair came in the first innings of the Wellington Test, when they used the short ball to exceptional effect.7.5
AB de Villiers
The scorecards will show de Villiers’ two highest scores in the series as 83 and 68, numbers that do no justice to the value of those two innings. The 83 came with South Africa in trouble, at 88 for 6 in Hamilton. de Villiers sewed the innings back together and steered the side to a valuable lead. The 68 was an audacious innings in Wellington featuring a feast of daring shots as he put on quick runs to allow Smith to declare and give South Africa a chance of winning the third Test. His catching let him down in Wellington, where he dropped two at slip, but that was a small botch on a tour during which his usual creativity and spunk lifted the side when they were in trouble.7
JP Duminy
He only had one chance and took it, a sign that Duminy is ready to be a Test cricketer again. After two years on the sidelines, he made his point with a hundred in Wellington. Although he started off in one-day mode, he soon settled and showed a particular aptitude for dealing with the short ball, something that has troubled him in the past. Though usually one of the best fielders in the squad, Duminy took some of the sheen of his comeback performance with three dropped catches in the match.Alviro Petersen scored a century in the third Test•Getty Images6
Alviro Petersen
It took Petersen two Tests to find his feet but when he did he managed to stand, walk and run all at once. In his first four innings, he struggled to adjust to the pace of the pitches in New Zealand, tried to be too aggressive and insisted on moving across the stumps, resulting in him being dismissed lbw twice. In the first innings of the Wellington Test, his 156 served as more than adequate proof that he could make the necessary changes to play international cricket in foreign conditions. His ton was punctuated with pulls in its early stages and classic drives as it matured. His challenge in the future will be to put in big performances even when he is not under pressure.Hashim Amla
It was an unusually quiet tour for someone who has been prolific against New Zealand. Amla scored two half-centuries and did not convert either into a hundred. With his calm approach to the game, he steered South Africa through challenging periods without much fuss. His tour ended on a painful note when he was hit in the groin off an inside edge, a blow which hampered his movement. He managed to bat for an hour after the injury, but when he was dismissed he had to be taken for emergency surgery. Word from the team camp was that he was battling to walk by the time South Africa left New Zealand.Jacques Kallis
A sublime century in the second innings of the Dunedin Test put South Africa in a commanding position. Kallis was also used as an impact bowler, coming on for short bursts and swinging the ball at pace. He left another lasting impression on the series. His comment that “99% of cricketers” do not believe ball-tracking is as accurate as the technical team wants them to believe it is almost caused Ian Taylor, creator of Virtual Eye, to withdraw the technology from the series. A neck strain, sustained in training before the third Test, ruled him out of the match and served as a stark reminder of his importance to the South Africa side. They had to sacrifice their frontline spinner to include both a batsmen and a fourth fast bowler to replace Kallis.Jacques Rudolph
Rudolph had one very good Test and two ordinary ones. He showed that he can translate his stunning domestic form into international success in Dunedin. A composed half-century in the first innings helped South Africa recover from Chris Martin’s post-tea bust of three wickets in two overs, and a hundred sprinkled with some of the best drives in the game put the visitors into a dominant position in the second innings. He spent limited time at the crease in the other two matches but crossed an important bridge in showing his suitability for his new middle-order role.5.5
Mark Boucher
In what was quite possibly the penultimate tour of his career, Boucher provided material for both sides of the arguments about whether or not he should still be in the Test side. He put in some understated but important performances with the bat, building with Rudolph in Dunedin and helping de Villiers put South Africa in the lead in Hamilton. His best innings came in Wellington, when a gritty 46 increase South Africa’s total. With the gloves, though, he made mistakes that will annoy him, twice letting chances go between himself and Smith at first slip. He held on to every other catch that came his way, ending the tour on 999 international dismissals and setting the stage for another milestone to be achieved later in the year, in England.Imran Tahir
He was again unlucky not to have surfaces that suited him but made the most of what he had to work with. Crucially, Tahir showed he could act as the containing bowler if it is required of him by maintaining an economy rate of under three runs per over. He missed out on the Wellington Test because of a need to shuffle the make-up of the side after Kallis’ injury.4.5
Marchant de Lange
The young tearaway got a taste of how tough Test cricket can be. Three months after taking 7 for 81 in his first Test innings, he was the weakest link in South Africa’s pace barrage in Wellington, as he could not find the right lengths on an unhelpful surface. The pitch had flattened out by the time South Africa were bowling and de Lange had the challenge of bowling into the wind for the bulk of his 38.2 overs. He has raw talent but there is lots of hard work to be done. South Africa were also without bowling coach Allan Donald to offer advice to de Lange in the third Test.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from Sri Lanka v New Zealand in Pallekele

Andrew Fernando in Pallekele27-Sep-2012Catch of the day
New Zealand’s hopes were still alive after four balls in their Super Over, with eight runs required to win. A four would have kept them in the hunt, and a six would have turned it slightly in their favour. Martin Guptill got low and attempted a hoick off a full Lasith Malinga delivery, and though he got plenty on it, the ball ballooned high off the top half of the bat. It hung in the air for what seemed an eternity, but Tillakaratne Dilshan got under it at long off stretched his arms out and snatched the ball from beyond the boundary, where it would have landed, sealing the match for the hosts.Fumble of the day
After Lahriu Thirimanne’s boundary, Sri Lanka needed one to win off the last delivery. Having bowled almost two overs of nothing but pinpoint yorkers, Tim Southee surprised the batsman with a short ball, and it deflected off Thirimanne’s torso towards point. James Franklin swooped in, took aim and sent a bounce throw to Ross Taylor at the non-striker’s end, but Taylor fumbled the throw, and judging by Taylor’s headshaking and Thirimanne’s jubilance, Sri Lanka appeared to have got home. Not so. The decision was sent to the third umpire, who ruled after an eternity that although the ball had fallen out of Taylor’s hands, it had dislodged a bail on the way to the ground and Thirimanne was short.Pep talk of the day
Mahela Jayawardene has championed Akila Dananjaya’s inclusion in the World Twenty20 squad and had picked him for his Sri Lanka Premier League side as well, guiding the 18-year-old as he moves from tier-three school cricket to international cricket in under three months. Before Dananjaya’s first ball at the top level, Jayawardene made a trip to the bowling crease and spoke to the youngster at length, discussing field positions and seemingly offering encouragement. Three balls into his career, Dananjaya had Guptill caught at long off. Jayawardene, predictably, was the first person over to congratulate the beaming debutant.Blow of the day
Dananjaya’s debut wasn’t totally painless, and not just because Brendon McCullum tonked him for two sixes either. Rob Nicol drove the first ball of Dananjaya’s third over back at the bowler, and though Dananjaya got his fingers up, partly in an attempt to complete a caught-and-bowled but mostly to protect himself, the shot was too powerful and Dananjaya wore it in the face. He went down immediately, the physio came out, and after several hair-raising close-up replays, Dananjaya emerged from the huddle of concerned onlookers with cotton up his left nostril, and apparently, fine to continue bowling.Collision of the day
You would put your money on Nathan McCullum in a fistfight with almost anybody, but Tillakaratne Dilshan took him out in the second over, when the two collided near the bowler’s end. McCullum was moving in to collect the return throw from mid-on, but had moved into Dilshan’s way as he completed his quick single. The batsman ploughed on through, adding insult to injury, after he had carted McCullum for 16 in the previous over.Shot of the day
Jayawardene was typically serene as he unleashed carnage on the New Zealand bowlers, but his best shot was not the cover drive off Kyle Mills or the sweep off Daniel Vettori, but the six over midwicket played off the front foot to a length ball. In the hands of any other batsman, it might have been a filthy heave across the line, but when Jayawardene advanced and let the stroke fly, it seemed as graceful and correct as anything played with the full face of the bat.

Nothing warms you up better than a victory for your side over its arch rival. Though, a quilt would be welcome, Kotla authorities

Nikhil Jha07-Jan-2013Choice of game
One of the blockbuster fixtures of cricketing rivalry – India v Pakistan was coming to town, and there was no way I would have passed on an opportunity to watch it. The poor form of our team, the freezing weather or the perceptible pessimism amongst the fans were not enough to deter me from attending the match.The only thing that could have stopped me was the ticket availability. Thankfully that was taken care of by my generous friends, and we set out hoping for a match that justified its blockbuster status.Team supported
Although supporting India has been downright depressing during the past year, this is no time to discontinue the support. A test for us fans too.Team India all the way!Key performer
Saeed Ajmal’s mesmerising bowling performance stood out for me. I could not see how MS Dhoni won the match award ahead of Ajmal.An honourable mention must go to Ravindra Jadeja, the player we fans love to hate, for a decent batting performance considering the situation, a brilliant bowling spell and a super fielding performance.One thing you’d have changed about the day
If I am allowed to be really wishful, I would have hopped aboard a TARDIS and brought back the Indian team from the 2011 World Cup. That team had players who had passion, resolve and a lot of hunger.Other than time travel, I would have a liked to see a much better batting performance from India. I know we won, but it was only because Pakistan messed up an easy chase. It was a case of “whatever you can do, we can do worse”.And how can I forget the weather! The stadium authorities should have handed a complimentary quilt to all fans who braved the elements.Face-off I relished
I really wanted to see the Indian top order, especially Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli face Pakistan pace attack. Pakistan seamers won that contest hands down.Wow moment
We were seriously mulling on heading back after India’s abysmal batting performance, which, combined with the near-zero temperature made watching unbearable. But we chose to stick around and see India’s efforts in the field before taking a call. And what an effort it was! It was heartening to see the fielding compliment the tight bowling, adding to the pressure, which is critical while defending a low total.The moment that exemplified that resolve in the field was Rahane’s brilliant diving effort in the fourth over. He made a full-length dive inside the circle to cut off a boundary. All the fielders, especially Raina, came from across the ground to pat him on the back. The fielders were all charged up, and as you would expect, the result was electrifying.Shot of the day
In the last ODI I watched at Kotla, Kohli’s century and strokeplay had decimated England. Here, he started with a silken wristy shot that blazed to the midwicket boundary rope. Alas, that was the only spark we saw, as he flattered to deceive.Crowd meter
It was heartening to see people turn up in good numbers, even for a dead rubber. With all the naysayers and sceptics mocking India’s performance on social media and beyond, I had a sinking feeling that the stands may be vacant. Glad to be proven wrong!The stands were more or less full, and it was great to see quite a few neighbours from across the border make it for the match. We had a few Pakistan supporters in our stands, and the see-saw nature of the match meant a few friendly banters were exchanged, followed by acknowledging cheers from both camps.The Pakistan fans had a field day during the Indian innings and parts of the Pakistan innings, with their cheers heard all over the stands. But once India pulled up their act in the field, chants of “India, India” resonated across the stadium, making it come alive. The occasional Mexican wave also kept the spectators on their feet.The most recognisable India fan was in our stands, and he was given mini-celebrity status with people queuing up for a photograph with him. He had replaced the ever-present “Tendulkar” painted on his body with “Miss You Tendulkar”.Personally, I thought his chants were in bad taste. It is one thing to cheer for your team and another to jeer the opponents. That too, when you are like an ambassador for Indian fans across the globe.Accessories
I wish we had carried a portable heater.Overall
The weather was not the only thing that sent shivers down our spine. The Indian batting performance worsened the plight of the fans. India can learn from the quality of Pakistan’s bowling. Thankfully, the opening spells of Indian seamers showed that all is not lost. India’s fielding performance was really top-notch and helped increase the overall quality of the cricket. The crowd, cheering in spurts, came to life on seeing some heart put on the field. It was an enjoyable experience overall, barring the extreme cold weather.Marks on 10
7. One of the lowest totals to be defended and an exciting finish to the game. Points deducted for the appalling batting performances of both sides, leading to a lot of boring spells for the fans.

Dean Elgar was probably wondering why the step into Test cricket had proved so easy for Faf du Plessis. Now he has his own Test hundred at only the third time of asking

Firdose Moonda at St George's Park12-Jan-2013

How the century-makers saw it

Dean Elgar: “The message before tea was to hurry up because Graeme Smith wanted to declare so I tried to have a go. But when I got to tea, Graeme told me I had time to get my hundred and I am pretty grateful for that. It was a celebration of relief when it came and Rory Kleinveldt actually picked me up. My debut didn’t go to script so I am glad to have redeemed myself. I didn’t feel as though I was lagging behind Faf du Plessis in Australia – that was Faf’s tour. But now I have proved to myself that maybe there is something I have here.”
Faf du Plessis: “It’s nice to get my first hundred in South Africa. In Australia, it was a lot different because it was all about the team. This hundred was more about my own performance and it was nice to be able to go through that. With the top four we have, they give us consistency so the rest of us can just go in and play our game. It’s important, especially for the younger guys that we don’t always come in under pressure. There hasn’t been once when I come on and we are 10 for four or something.”

Test cricket should be tough for rookies. Even rookies who have cruised through seasons of domestic cricket, destroying all in their path. Even rookies who look as though they were born with an international shirt number embroidered on their soft baby skin. It should require fumbling, falling flat and making mistakes.Dean Elgar was probably given to wondering why it was all so easy for Faf du Plessis. Du Plessis was South Africa’s saviour on debut when he turned a potential Test defeat into a morale-boosting draw which led to a series win in Australia. Michael Clarke was officially named as man of the series, but Du Plessis’ team-mates triumphantly hailed him as their own choice.Crucially, du Plessis looked like he belonged. He had the temperament to make the step up. Under extreme pressure, du Plessis was able to defend tirelessly in Adelaide and attack cautiously in Perth. His start suggested that the changes he made to his game by moving up the order for his domestic franchise and turning down a T20 deal with Somerset to captain South Africa A in unofficial Tests had paid off.If du Plessis could make the transition so easily, Elgar must have thought as he sat on the sidelines in Adelaide, then surely I do the same? Elgar’s first-class record has been consistently better than du Plessis over the last three seasons and he has played more matches. Over the last three seasons Elgar averaged 50.11 in franchise cricket in 32 matches (not accounting for other matches for teams like South Africa A) while du Plessis played half that number and averaged 40.47.They both played in the June matches against Sri Lanka A and both contributed heavily to South Africa’s victory. Elgar top-scored with 171, du Plessis made 144. Given Elgar’s form in first-class cricket, it was thought he would be picked for South Africa in the longer format first but instead he was chosen to play in the one-day series against Sri Lanka. Du Plessis was already in the set-up at limited-overs level.Before any cricket began, Elgar sustained a serious knee injury that kept him out of cricket for the rest of the summer. Du Plessis went on to score an important 72 in South Africa’s win in Bloemfontein and their paths went in opposite ways. Du Plessis was picked as a replacement in England, Elgar was part of the one-day set up where he fared modestly and both were taken to Australia knowing they would only be called into action if something happened to JP Duminy or Jacques Rudolph.That something happened first for du Plessis when he took the place of the injured Duminy and he made everything of it. Something also happened when Rudolph’s rope ran out and Elgar was inserted into his spot. The difference was that Elgar did not look comfortable at all.His pair alone did not suggest that. Many rightly pointed out that Graham Gooch and Marvan Atapattu were among the batsmen to have gone run-less in their first Test and built impressive careers after that. Elgar could simply have got unlucky but he did not.He was worked over by Mitchell Johnson on that Test debut in Perth. The left-armer started with bouncers in the first innings, hurrying Elgar into shots as he searched desperately for his first Test run. Then, Johnson began to pitch them up and just when everyone but Elgar was expecting a short ball, Johnson delivered one and he was caught off the glove, hooking.It took Johnson even fewer balls to get the same result in the second innings when he followed up three bouncers with a length ball and Elgar padded up to it. For a batsman who had handled bounce around South Africa for years to have been so conclusively rattled by it was surprising. Welcome, international cricket said to Elgar, you’ve fallen into the gap.Gary Kirsten’s way is to give players sufficient chances and Elgar was informed he would keep his place for the less challenging task of facing the New Zealand attack. Even then, in the first Test in Cape Town, Elgar did not look like he fitted in.Coming in after a century from Alviro Petersen and 60s from Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla, Elgar had a stable platform from which to launch. He scored a run off his first ball but still did not look entirely sure of himself. His footwork was uncertain, his early drives nothing but tentative prods and he seemed to lack the confidence to play outside the off stump. He struggled to bring his bat down straight. Suddenly, despite a reputation for possessing one of the tightest techniques in South Africa, Elgar looked out of his depth.The early parts of his innings in Port Elizabeth were similar. He was nervous, drove loosely, pulled uncertainly. After three attempts at the shot, he got it right and controlled the ball well to the mid-wicket boundary. That was the first sign that Elgar could step up.As the innings progressed, Elgar straightened his bat and began to time the ball well, especially on the drive. He displayed some patience and much skill, living up to his classy domestic reputation. Bearing in mind that Elgar is usually an opening batsman, adjusting to the lower middle order was perhaps always going to take some extra time. By his own admission, he had to develop an understanding of how to handle batting with the bowlers.But he had them to thank for being able to get to his first Test hundred. Despite wanting to declare at tea, Graeme Smith sent out the lower order to allow Elgar to bring up the milestone and it was not a gratuitous concession. Although cricket remains a team game, with the amount of time left in the game to leave Elgar nine short would have denied him the opportunity of a confidence booster.Now, a Test hundred to his name, he feels as though he has done something to prove he has a Test career ahead of him. Du Plessis’ phenomenal rise will always serve as a reminder that some people were just born to play Test cricket but it’s the lesson Elgar teaches that is more notable. Most players do not learn to bat and bowl before they learn to crawl, walk, talk, scrape their knees and fail on the way to success. Elgar has walked that road now. And it is still only his third Test.

Plays of the Day from the third day of the second Test between India and Australia in Hyderabad.

Brydon Coverdale04-Mar-2013Mystery review of the day
Every day of this non-DRS Test has provided an umpire review of a catch. But none was as baffling as the one that ended Sachin Tendulkar’s innings on seven. James Pattinson bowled down the leg side and appealed confidently for a caught-behind. The standing umpire Marais Erasmus appeared at first to rule it not out. After further enquiry from Pattinson, Erasmus seemed to have a change of heart. He consulted the square-leg umpire and sent the decision upstairs. Under ICC playing conditions, Erasmus could only do this to check that the catch carried, meaning he was convinced Tendulkar had edged the ball, despite him initially appearing to make a not-out judgment. The third umpire checked the replay and confirmed that the ball had carried to Matthew Wade, but also spent a long while looking at ball passing bat. It appeared Tendulkar had edged the ball – later backed up by Snicko, which the umpires cannot use – and he was given out. The right decision was made, but it felt like the umpires had exploited a loophole in the system to reach it.On-field catch of the day
Ed Cowan hasn’t taken everything that has come his way in this series but he snaffled a ripping catch at backward short-leg to get rid of Virat Kohli. Glenn Maxwell got one to dip and turn and Kohli came at him, trying to clip the ball towards leg. It looked set to fly past Cowan until he thrust his left hand out and snared a terrific catch that brought Maxwell his fourth wicket and Australia their ninth.Off-field catch of the day
When David Warner came down the wicket to R Ashwin and lofted him over long-on, it was always going to be a crowd catch for somebody. But who should be in position to take it? None other than Merv Hughes, the former fast bowler and a national selector until 2010, who is in India leading an Australian tour group. Hughes took the catch easily and lobbed it back onto the field. The TV cameras soon returned to Hughes and his Test tally of 23 catches flashed up on the screen. It didn’t tick over to 24.Three of the day
In an innings of 503 it seems remarkable that that there would be only one occasion when the batsmen ran through for three off the bat. But while the Indians scored 106 singles, 38 twos, 69 fours and four sixes, the only three came when MS Dhoni flicked the ball wide of square leg off the bowling of Peter Siddle.

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013

Virender Sehwag, not for the first time in his extravagant career, stands on the cusp of history. To break Brian Lara’s Test innings record, the Delhi Devastator needs another 117 runs – equating to approximately 23 minutes’ batting at his standard scoring rate.I speculated in my first World Cricket Podcast exactly what bowlers must feel when attempting to combat Sehwag on a good batting pitch. Suffice it to say that if this innings continues long into day three, the International Court of Human Rights may become involved, and the phenomenal Indian opener may find himself charged with crimes against bowling humanity.For all the splendour Sehwag has once again given to the cricket-watching world, all record of this innings must be surreptitiously destroyed. What if impressionable young bowlers were to stumble upon evidence of the kind of abuse they may endure? What right-thinking parent would want their precious little baby bowler to grow up in such a heartless universe? Even bowling machines might refuse to bowl.How cricket has changed. As a schoolboy, I was an opening batsman. Not a good opening batsman but an opening batsman nonetheless. And, more importantly, an excruciatingly tedious one. I viewed it as my specific responsibility not to score runs, and to not score them over as long a period as possible.Steve Waugh used to talk of the “mental disintegration” of opponents. My approach to this task was to block full-tosses, leave wide half-volleys and pad up to long-hops until the opposition bowlers and fielders were on the verge of either tears or retirement. Sehwag embodies everything I could not even have imagined being possible as an opener.In fact, cricketing orthodoxy at the time was such that a boy was expelled from my school for scoring a run-a-ball 50, bringing disgrace to the school’s proud cricketing tradition with his morally wanton strokeplay. That story is not true, but it might as well have been, so it’s staying in the blog. No arguments.Sehwag may well break Lara’s record, but Angelo Mathews has already claimed his place in the record books, with the narrowest failure to score a century in Test history. Mathews was run out by approximately half a millimetre, after an agonising delay as the third umpire subjected the video footage to more intensive scrutiny than any piece of film since the JFK assassination.Being out for 99 is a strange form of personal sporting failure − you have basically succeeded, but the moment of disappointment is all the greater than if you had in fact properly failed. And being run out for 99 adds a piquant element of avoidable silliness to the failure.Mike Atherton suffered this partially abominable fate at Lord’s in 1993, when, turning for a seemingly simple third run, he was sent back by Mike Gatting, who had been temporarily transfixed by a supernatural vision of the world’s largest banoffee pie. Atherton slipped, Ian Healy Australianly whipped the bails off, and Gatting licked his lips, mumbling, “I have seen the future. And it’s covered in toffee and bananas.”Steve Waugh became an associate member of the Missing Out On A Test Century Due To Between-The-Wickets Incompetence in spectacular fashion, in the Perth Ashes Test of 1994-95. Twin brother Mark was acting as runner for Craig McDermott, went for an imbecilic single, ran himself/McDermott out, and left Steve one run short of another scrawling on another honours board. What were the brothers thinking to each other as they trudged off? The official Confectionery Stall guess is as follows:Mark: “That’ll teach you to make your Test debut four years before me.”
Steve: “Looks like I’ll be forgetting your birthday this year. I don’t care how easy it should be for me to remember it.”
Mark: “You’ve got to admit, it was objectively the funniest run-out in cricket history.”
Steve: “I’m going to tell Mum. You’re in trouble. I want my teddy.”
Mathews’ dismissal was the 67th time a batsman has been out for 99 in Test cricket, and the 14th time one has missed out on three-figure glory by virtue of being run out. Fourteen out of 67 – this is an extraordinary ratio, which illustrated the madness that can envelop the human soul when the tastily steaming baguette of personal triumph is within nibbling distance. Also, 20.9% of batsmen out for 99 have been run out – yet of the 59,237 Test dismissals that had occurred as of 5pm GMT on December 3, 2009, only 3.5% have been run-outs.Batsmen on 99 are thus six times more likely to run themselves out (or, perhaps, have a sadistic team-mate run them out), than batsmen who aren’t already mentally picturing charging around with their arms in the air, kissing their helmets, waving their bats at any available camera, and cuddling the non-striking batsman.There are statistics and there are statistics. And this statistic reveals the inherent nature of the human condition, and the potentially fatal pitfalls of personal ambition, as much as any play by Shakespeare. Arguably. Expect it to be on all school curriculums around the cricket-speaking world within months.

The quiet confidence Ryan Harris exudes now is a result of the time he has been able to spend around the Queensland squad.

Daniel Brettig21-Mar-2013A few months ago, still waylaid by shoulder surgery, Ryan Harris was unable to say for sure whether or not he would be able to bowl effectively again. Even accounting for the fact that Harris is typically pessimistic and perfectionist about his art, his doubts were real. A few false starts in January did not help, and even when he did return to the bowling crease for Queensland in a limited-overs match at the MCG, he was blowing hard within a couple of overs.Gradually, however, Harris has regained his former verve. The limited-overs final, also against Victoria, showed his capacity for the striking spell. A first Sheffield Shield appearance against Tasmania reaped wickets if not consistency. He pulled it all together last week against Western Australia in Perth, plucking eight wickets and making critical runs to help the Bulls achieve the win they required to elbow into the final. Now he is in Hobart, limbering up for the competition decider – another wholehearted performance and the Ashes will hove into view.”It’s crucial for me to keep bowling now,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “I bowled a couple of near to 10-over spells in Perth so it’s getting better and better. There’s still some more improvement left, but from that day in Melbourne when I came back I’ve definitely improved. The more I bowl the fitter I get. I’m back to about 75-80%. I’ve narrowed that down from the first game I played. To get back to Test cricket those bad balls have to be almost none per over. So it’s crucial I get back to putting it consistently in the right spot.”Among the country’s best judges of “the right spot” may be found in Tasmania’s batting line-up. Not only does it contain Ricky Ponting, the senior statesman of Australian batting, but also Alex Doolan, George Bailey and Tim Paine. The opening pair of Jordan Silk and Mark Cosgrove has quickly established a reassuringly stable union. As a former club and state teammate of Harris in Adelaide, Cosgrove has battled Harris as often in the nets as in the middle. Whether it be friendly chatter after play, or edgier banter in the middle, there will be plenty of feedback on offer for Harris.”[The final] is going to give me a good test as to where I’m at and give me a good gauge,” Harris said. “I’ll speak to Ricky after the game and get a bit of feedback from him, which he’s always pretty happy to give. That’s a good thing about it, to hear from the batsman’s point of view about how it’s hitting the bat and how it’s going past them.”I’m not worrying about whether I’m going to play or not. I want to play, but it’s out of my control. All I can do is make sure I’m back to being consistent and at the standard I need to be at to go and play Test cricket. I’m not putting too much pressure on myself, I know the more I bowl the better I get.”The quiet confidence Harris exudes now is a direct result of the time he has been able to spend around the Bulls’ squad since his return to the crease. Their culture of attacking cricket, mutual responsibility but also plenty of fun is widely admired, and not dissimilar to Tasmania’s. In two seasons under the leadership duo of the captain James Hopes and the coach Darren Lehmann, Queensland have won every trophy on offer.Those looking for a symbol of the triumph for the collective over the individual did not need to look far this week, when Bulls and Brisbane Heat players were absent from every domestic team of the year. This drew outrage from some quarters, but quiet satisfaction from others.”We’ve got really good players and everyone chips in a long the way but we haven’t really had your superstar players that some of the other teams have had,” Harris said. “If it’s not me taking wickets or playing it’s someone else coming in, whether it’s Ben Cutting or Cameron Gannon or Ali McDermott or Luke Feldman or Matthew Gale. Everyone chips in.”Pete Forrest has had a disappointing year but now Joe Burns has stepped up to an extent, and Chris Hartley and Hopesy. Everyone chipping in at the right time. Not that other teams don’t do that but we seem to do it more often. The feeling amongst the group is unbelievable and it has been since I arrived in Queensland but probably more so since Darren’s taken over. He gives guys the belief they can go out and play their way. There are guys who’ve struggled who in most states probably wouldn’t be in the team at this time of the year but he’s backing them.”Something Queensland and Tasmania also share is an ideal blend of youthful players and more seasoned stagers. Their balance is of the kind that Australia benefited from in the first 18 months of Michael Clarke’s captaincy, but that the retirements of Ponting and Michael Hussey has now made damagingly elusive in India. Harris is mindful of the issue as he thinks increasingly of an international return.”You’ve lost two very senior guys with Hussey and Ponting gone over the summer. It’s a very hard thing to replace,” he said. “Those guys are leading the team, they’re around guys at night having dinner with them and talking about cricket or about life and just getting to know them. It’s a big thing to lose out of a team. I’m sure if we lost myself, James Hopes and Chris Hartley all at once this team may struggle for direction and performance.”You take that out of any state, like [David] Hussey, Cameron White and Chris Rogers out of Victoria and they’d struggle. That’s why I hope [Michael] Hussey and Ponting go around again next year because it’s not just the guys who play with them but the guys who play against them learn so much as well. In our game you can’t buy experience, talking to experienced guys and learning the game – we don’t have enough of it. Grade cricket’s suffered because they don’t have enough old guys and hopefully state cricket won’t just yet because those guys hang around.”

Azhar Mahmood is in the twlight of his career but still plays with the zest of youth as he travels the world for Twenty20

Vithushan Ehantharajah06-Aug-2013After playing for 10 different domestic teams across eight different countries, in nine different competitions, it’s fair to say Azhar Mahmood has done a few laps of the Twenty20 circuit. But in the last throes of a career both impressive in its longevity and modest when you take into account his considerable talent, Mahmood is the freelancer with a difference.The format’s fourth highest wicket-taker, Mahmood is also the only Pakistani cricketer in the IPL by virtue of being a British citizen. So far, the exclusion of Pakistan players from the IPL has remained, despite India’s willingness to continue sporting relationships with their neighbours.Which makes Mahmood’s position all the more interesting; as officials and ex-players clamour for a more open competition, he is seen as one that has slipped through the net and can enjoy the rewards that come with partaking in Twenty20’s premier competition. But for a man thought to be in a position of comfort, he doesn’t sit easy.”The saddest thing is whenever I go to India, even when it was with the Pakistan side, people love us,” he reflects. “It’s such a great environment and there are so many similarities to back home that should unite us.””I love Chandigarh – it reminds me a lot of Islamabad, it’s a similar sort of city and one of the many in India that would love to have players from Pakistan representing their franchises. But don’t get me wrong, Islamabad definitely has the better food, no doubt about that. Then again, I suppose it helps when I know all the places to go.”South London must hold a similar familiarity, having spent five seasons playing his cricket at The Oval between 2002 and 2007, before a return for this year’s FLt20 as a non-overseas player. While Glen Maxwell didn’t quite tick, and the participation Ricky Ponting and Kevin O’Brien ending with the start of the Caribbean Twenty20, Mahmood adopts the crown of marquee player – one that may not shine as brightly, but still suits him well.His performance of 13 wickets with the ball has eclipsed his exploits with the bat (138 runs at an average of 19), and there is a sense he feels that he hasn’t done himself justice. The stats support his ruefulness; in the last two years he has 17 scores of fifty or more, primarily, from batting in the top four.”I think for any batsman, it’s the best place to bat,” he says. “For me, most of my runs have come at No 3. It gives you more overs to get yourself in so you can prolong your inning – if I start slowly I know I can make up for the dot balls with some boundaries. But my role at Surrey is to bat down the order and take the new ball, so it makes sense, especially if we are chasing and I might have to go straight away from bowling at the death to batting. I sweat a lot so I need time to towel myself down.”

My role at Surrey is to bat down the order and take the new ball, so it makes sense, especially if we are chasing and I might have to go straight away from bowling at the death to batting

Mahmood’s best return as a Twenty20 batsmen came in a 2011 summer with Kent, where he flourished as a loose fixture in their order to score 485 runs – including one of his two hundreds. His second came as an opener in the 2011-12 season for Auckland in New Zealand’s domestic HRV Cup. Forging an at times barbaric partnership with Martin Guptill, he settled into a groove, averaging just over 41. Opening in England is, as of yet, an uncrossed bridge and for good, if rather peculiar reason.”I wouldn’t like to open now because the handshakes at the beginning of every match mean that you’re in a rush if you’re batting first. I like to chill out and have five or ten minutes to just sit down. I don’t have any routines, but I don’t want to be rushing to finish putting all my kit on after saying ‘hello’ to the opposition!”There’ll be no need for such formal pleasantries with Somerset rival and former Rawalpindi and, later, Kent team-mate Yasir Arafat on Tuesday. As well as sharing a few shirts, they are also the only two players with 200 wickets and 1,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket, though Arafat stands alone as the highest wicket taker in England’s Twenty20 history (closely followed by Mahmood).For years, Arafat has displayed a level of performance that few others have matched in the game’s 10 years. His death bowling, which has contributed to his 19 wickets in this campaign, remains as precise as ever – “Oh, my death bowling’s better,” laughs Mahmood – and will certainly cause Surrey problems. Mahmood has taken the time to inform his team-mates about what to expect, as well as running through some plans to combat his lethal yorkers. But even as opponents, there will be very little malice in this quarter-final showdown.”I think of him as a younger brother,” says Mahmood. “He’s a very nice, down to earth guy. I called him after his 4 for 5 against Warwickshire and congratulated him. There have been times where he has had a couple of issues with his bowling and we’ve talked and I’ve tried to help me as much as I can. But he doesn’t need much help from me – he’s a quality bowler.”There is a real charm to Mahmood; his smile on the pitch seems unweathered by the years. His hair still boosted by the boyish curls he sported when he first played in England as part of Pakistan’s World Cup squad in 1999. International cricket may be over for him, but his interest and association is anything but.A keen watcher from afar, he maintains solid friendships within the team. Last week he was spent time with Pakistan’s current bowling coach and ex-Surrey paceman Mohammad Akram, championing his work with the latest pool of fast bowlers. “There are more coming,” he warns.Any thoughts of a similar career path are met with a few caveats and one, specific, rebuttal.”I don’t think I could ever be a head coach, that’s for sure. I just don’t have the temperament. And I know how much you need – I’ve been in Pakistan dressing rooms! A head coach needs to know how to deal with each individual and get the best out of them. It’s not something for everyone. I wouldn’t mind a specific role but, for now, I feel I still have time left in me.”I enjoy playing far too much.”It shows.